Random dissertations into business and marketing.

May 27, 2009

The Art Of Web Conversion: Persuasion Architecture

Sure, I know what you are thinking. Persuasion Architecture is just some new lame marketing term. No, not really. It is what Information Architecture was intended to accomplish but never did. This is because information architecture is more like the Dewy Decimal System - or at least it is treated as such. Things are sorted into logical buckets and dumped into a set of wire frames that are then coded into a flashy website with cool colors and flash.

What is wrong with that you say? Well, for one thing, it never really solves the problem optimally. It is not just about making things easy to find in a logical manner, its also about driving action and interaction. Its about engaging the user and prompting them via a good design to make a decision or take an action.

Now think about how architecture - GOOD architecture, works. Whether its landscape architecture or brick and mortar based, the best architects know how to combine form and function optimally. They create a design that forces you to subtly discover things that they intended for you to stumble upon. As you walk down the hall you are presented a cubby with a striking piece of art that forces you to stop and stare. You then turn left and step into what seems to be a secrete nook that opens up into a library that you must investigate. Every room, hall and space are treated as a way to entice the "user" to interact with the design. Its about creating a world of planned discovery.

So, as you approach your next web project ask yourself, are you going to just plant grass between the pathway?